Ultrastructural diagnosis of Gaucher's disease with negative-staining technique

ABSTRACT

The electron microscope provides easy confirmation in Gaucher's disease. This may be done with conventional ultrathin sections or, more quickly, by negative staining of tissues minced in 1 percent ammonium acetate. Typical helical structures associated with glucocerebroside storage were easily demonstrated with tissues that had been fixed in formaldehyde solution and embedded in paraffin blocks. Similar success was obtained with splenic tissue that had been in a museum jar for 17 years.(AU)